Psalm 44:6-8 I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.
In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name for ever.

The Bible is loaded with passages that talk about what we trust, what we rely on. The point here is not that you don’t have a bow or sword, but that they are not the source of success. It’s interesting that the NIV repeatedly says “victory” in this passage, where the Japanese says “save,” or “salvation.” There are all kinds of salvation and victory, so the bow and sword can be metaphors for any sort of tool we might use to achieve our goals. Good weapons and/or tools are certainly desirable, and good skill in using them is even more valuable, but we must not forget Who is behind and above it all. The minute we forget that everything we have comes from God and is to be used strictly in obedience to Him, we are on shaky ground. God is our salvation, not science or medicine or skill or anything else. We are to be grateful for those things and not despise them, but we must always keep them subservient to God in our thoughts and affections.

I enjoy woodworking and a number of other physical/mechanical activities, and I can be a sucker for good tools, so this illustration hits home for me. As a photographer, I would like the “latest and greatest” equipment, but I know that it is God who gives me opportunities to take pictures and the skill to capture them, even with less that “top tier” equipment. Far more importantly, it is God who has called me into ministry and uses me in interactions with all sorts of people. I have tried all sorts of techniques to win people to Christ, but those techniques have been remarkably ineffective. I have found that the only “tools of the trade” that really count are integrity and faithfulness. I desire to see people’s hearts changed, to see them repent of unbelief and turn to God in joyful faith and obedience, but I can’t make that happen. What I can do is continue to speak the truth to them in love and allow the Holy Spirit to take His words through me to work in their hearts and lives. The success that I desire is for God’s name to be acknowledged as holy and His kingdom come as His will is done. I cannot accomplish that in any real sense of the word, but I can be available to God for Him to do it in and through me.

Father, yesterday’s business meeting was in some ways very frustrating, but You came through beautifully in the end. I pray that each member of this church would continue to grow in faith, trust, and obedience, so that together we may become all that You desire for and of us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!